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If you don’t update WordPress, your site becomes vulnerable to security exploits, performance degrades over time, and compatibility issues increase. Outdated sites are primary targets for automated attacks. According to Sucuri’s 2023 research, 39.1% of hacked CMS installations were running outdated software at infection, with WordPress comprising 95.5% of all detected infections.

Security updates should be applied within 24-48 hours of release. Going more than a month without updates significantly increases security risk. After six months to a year without updates, your site faces serious vulnerabilities and the update process becomes much more complex and risky.

Yes. Outdated WordPress installations are prime targets for automated attacks. Once a vulnerability is publicly disclosed, bots scan millions of sites looking for outdated versions. Wordfence blocked over 55 billion password attack attempts and 1.1 billion SQL injection attempts in 2024, most targeting known vulnerabilities in outdated plugins and themes.

Updating multiple major versions at once is risky without proper testing. It’s safer to create a full backup first, update WordPress core, test thoroughly, then update plugins in batches. For sites 12+ months behind, professional help is recommended to avoid breaking critical functionality.

Professional help to safely update a severely outdated WordPress site typically costs $500-$2,000 depending on complexity. If the site was already hacked, cleanup costs range from $500-$5,000+. Regular maintenance ($50-$300/month) prevents these expensive emergency situations.

Security vulnerabilities are the biggest risk. Once a plugin vulnerability is disclosed publicly, automated attacks begin within hours. A successful hack can result in malware distribution, SEO spam, complete lockout, or Google blacklisting—all causing revenue loss and reputation damage.

Updates can cause conflicts, especially when jumping multiple versions. That’s why backing up before updating is essential. Most minor updates are safe, but major version jumps require testing. Professional maintenance services test updates in staging environments before applying them to live sites.

Log into your WordPress admin dashboard and check the Updates section. You’ll see notifications for core, plugin, and theme updates. If you see dozens of updates or versions that are months or years old, your site is seriously outdated and needs immediate attention.